Snow shovel attachment for motor vehicles



July 15, 1952 1 5. J. FlAcco 2,603,007

snow SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5. 1948 Sebasfian J. Fiacca mmvrox.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. J. FIACCO SNOW SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES July 15, 1952 Filed May 5, 1948 Nm Q9 o I N9 v9 m6 m9 vb Sebasfian J F iacco JNVENTOR.

July 15, 1952 s. J. FIACCO SNOW SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 3. 1948 Sebastian J. F iacco INVENTOR.

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W a ma M. m A 3 m .IM W FW 0 2 m 1.? v m m s m 6 a w 5 v. mum B S. J. FIACCO SNOW SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES July 15, 1952 Flled May s 1948 Patented July 15, 1952 snow SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR HICLES Sebastian J Fiasco, Nor-wood, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1948, Serial No. 24,783

v 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in a snow shovel attachment for motor vehicles and more specifically pertains to a roadway snow plow attachment which may be readily applied to or removed from motor .vehicles, converting the same into rotary snow plows.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a highly satisfactory and efiicient rotary snow plow construction for use with motor vehicles and more particularly to provide the same in the form of an attachment which may be readily applied to or removed from motor vehicles as desired.

An important feature of the invention consists in the provision of a supporting frame which may be readily applied to or removed from a motor vehicle as an attachment therefor, and which supporting frame is adjustably and pivotally mounted upon a motor vehicle and carries a snow funnel which collects snow during the forward progress of the vehicle and discharges the same into a rotary blower which, in turn, discharges the show through a discharge conduit in various selected directions. 7

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus as set forth in the preceding paragraphs wherein a common power operated driving means is provided for energizing the blower and for actuating a snow or ice cutter rotatably mounted in the funnel at the forward or inlet end thereof, in advance of the blower.

, A stillfurther important feature of the inven= tion resides in the provision of a novel construcl blower consists of an internal combustion engine which may be either mounted upon the supporting frame to be removable therewith as a unitary attachment; or if desired may be carried in the body of a truck or the like as preferred.

, And a final important feature of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein comprehends the provision of a construction wherein concentric actuating shafts are provided for the rotatable cutter and the blower for operating the same, together with a gearing assembly which is carried by the blower for simultaneously connecting both of the concentric shafts with the common power operating means.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description pro-, ceeds, are attained by this device, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated,fby way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure lis a sideelevational view showing'one embodiment of the invention mounted upon a motor vehicle for transportation thereby, parts being broken away to show the interior construction thereof, and an alternative position of the adjustable discharge orifice being indicated in dotted lines; t

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1, parts being broken away to show the interior construction thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken upon an enlarged scale, of the attachment shown in Figure 1, parts being broken away to disclose the interior construction thereof;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view, taken upon an enlarged scale, and substantially, in vertical longitudinal sectional view, showing the construction of the concentric driving shafts forming a part of the invention; I a

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the snow collecting funnel forming an element of the invention;

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane of the section line 66 of Figure 3, and showing the construction of the snow discharge conduit adjusting mechanism and construction; c

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper section of the relatively rotatable discharge conduit forming a part of the invention;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view, similar to Figure 1,,but showing a second embodiment' of theinvention; v

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 8, parts being broken away'to show the interior construction thereof; 7

Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the construction shown in Figure 8; a .'1 j

Figure 11 is a fragmentaryvertical longitudinal sectional view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane of the section line I l--H of Figure 10, showing the interior construction of one of the units of the cutter, blower and blower discharge conduit adjusting means, forming a part of the invention;

Figure 12 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken upon an enlarged, scale substantially upon the plane of the line l2--l2 of Figure 11 and showing the gearing assembly housed in a gear casing supported by the lower units; and

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional detail View taken substantially upon the, plane of thesection line l3-l3 of Figure 12 and showing further details of the gearing assembly for driving the blowers.

Referring now more specificallyto. the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, attention is directed first to the embodiment of Figures l'7, wherein there is disclosed a unitary attachment including the power plant for operating the same and'which is detachably connected :to the front ofa truck or like vehicle.

Although the principles of the invention are obviously applicable to any suitable type of vehicle, they find their most practical embodiment and application to motor vehicles of the truck type, wherein they form an-accessory or attachment for adapting these vehicles to use by various State'highway or road departments for clearing snow from mainand side roads, as well as for use by individuals in removing snow from private property, roads and the like.

Indicated generally at J is a portion of a ,motor truck, whichiis illustratedas being of the typehavinga dump'body i2, which-is operated by suitable mechanism not shown, from a supporting standard construction in a known manner.

Pivotally attached as by removable pins l6, to suitable supporting brackets I8 carried by the front end of the motor truck ili,is a supporting frame. of, any suitable construction but which includes longitudinally extending parallel side members20, and transverse members 22.

At, their front ends, the side members 20 are provided with supp rting lugs 24, which receive the ends of upwardly and rearwardlyextending supportrods 26, whose other extremities are detachably connected as by bolts or the like 2-8 to the above mentioned support standard l4 of the dump body [2 of the in'uck. Of course, the support rods 26 may be attached'to any other suitable ,part of the frame work of the truck, and

' othersurface to be cleansed of snow.

As will be more clearly apparent by reference to Figure 3, the supporting frame 20 has suitably ,mounted thereon .a snow collecting funnel 32 whose front end is open and enlarged and provided with a forwardly extending substantially square flange 34, to which are secured shoes or slides 36 beneath the lower edge thereof whereby the funnel in its lowered position may be slid upon the road surface if desired. A plurality of snow cutting vanes 33 are disposed about the inner face of the funnel 32, and extend inwardly thereof, the vanes extending substantially perpendicular to the side of the funnel to which they are attached.

The rearward end of the funnel 32, which is of lesser diameter than the forward end, opens into an integral, preferably annular blower casing 38, and substantially at the axial center thereof, which casing, as shown in Figure 6, is provided with a tangentially disposed upwardly extending discharge conduit lower section 40 upon which is rotatably mounted an upper section 42 terminating in a laterally disposed discharge pipe 44 constituting a discharge orifice.

,It.is intended that the upper section 42 shall be. supported upon the lower section 40 for rotation about a vertical axis, in order to permit the angular positioning of the discharge nozzle or orifice 44 in various selected directions, whereby the stream of snow delivered by the blower may be discharged in any desired direction in accordance with the desires of the operator.

For this purpose'the adjacent ends of the sections 40 and 42 are provided with laterally.extending annular flanges 46, and 48, respectively, which flanges are rotatably secured in axially aligned abutting engagement by means of 'a flanged retaining rim or flanged member 50 :removably mounted upon the flange 46 as by fastening bolts 52, to constitute a couplingiiange or gland for retaining the upper section upon the lower section.

In order to regulate the rotatable movement of theupper section upon the lower section, the former is provided with a rigidly attached ring gear 54 of any suitable construction. The ring gear, as shown best, in Figure 3, is constantly in mesh with a drive pinion 56 secured to a shaft 58. The shaft 58 is journaled in the casing 60 of an electric motor or thelike which'is secured asby a clamp 62 in any desired manner to the stationary lower section 46. It will thus be seen that in effect the driving pinion 56 and its shaft 58 are journaled upon and carried by the stationary lower section. If desired, the electric motor 60 may be replaced by any suitable means, including a manually operable crank for rotating the shaft 58, whereby the upper section may be rotated upon the lower section as desired. Of course, it will be understood that any suitable controls and electrical circuits will be provided for energizing and controlling the operation of the motor 60, and since these are of conventional design, it is deemed to be unnecessary to disclose-the same in these drawings.

In order to better protect the driving pinion 56 and the ring gear 54 and their associated parts from undue wear, and from interference with their operation by the weather or other conditions, an enclosing housing 64 of any suitable construction is provided, this housing being rigidly secured and mounted upon the lower section 40, in a position to embrace and enclose'the above mentioned gearing, which housing terminates'in an upper inwardly disposed flange 6-5 which loosely embraces the rotatable section 42.

Attention is now directed'more specifically to Figures 3 and 5, where it will be seen-that there is mounted withinthe open end of the funnel 32, a supporting spider 66 of any desired construction, in which is J'ournaled a conical ice or snow cutter head 68, for breaking hardened deposits of snow and ice encountered by the snow plow. This cutter head 68 is detachably mounted as by a spline ID upon the forward end of a driving shaft l2,'whose rearward end is suitably journaled in the lower housing 38 in any desired man= ner and is operated in a manner to be subsequently set forth.

As will thus be seen, the cutter head 68 is rotatably mounted and carried by the spider assembly 66 within the confines of the open end 34 of the collecting funnel 32, whereby the thrust of the engagement of the cutter with the snow or ice is absorbed by the spider rather than by the'driving shaft 72. Moreover, there is fixedly secured to the shaft 12 by the above mentioned spline 19, the hub portion id of a snow feeding screw or propeller having radially extending pro peller jblades l6 whose edges are secured to a frusto-conical shaped annular rim l8 and from which extend rearwardly disposed vanes or blades 80 whose outer edges are disposed in juxtaposition to the inner surface of the funnel 32. This construction is such that upon rotation of the shaft 72, the propeller blades F6 are caused to feed the snow collected by the forward mo tion of the funnel 32 through snow drifts and the like into the funnel 32, and force the same to the inner or discharge end thereof into the pump casing 38, the vanes 88 serving to prevent and remove incrustations or deposits of snow collecting or tending to collect within the funnel 32.

As will be more readily apparent from Figures 3 and 4, there is rotatably mounted as by means of anti-friction bearings 82, the tubular hubpor" tion or sleeve 85 of the blower fan, having integral, radially extending vanes or blades 85 attached thereto. This hub 84 is retained within the casing 33 in proper position therein upon the shaft 12 as by means of a removable collar 88 at one end of the hub, and a sprocket gear hub 90 at the other end of the sleeve or hub 84. It will thus be seen that the hub 84 is freely rotatable upon and supported by the rotatable shaft 12, whereby the fan 86 is free to"rotate independently of the shaft 12, and of the feed screw l fi and cutter 68 carried thereby.

The inward end of the shaft 2'2, as shown in Figure 3, is suitably journaled in a standard or support 82 of any desired construction. Rigidly attached to the hub 84, is a driven sprocket 94, while a similar sprocket S5 is integrally-formed by and carried by the hub 90.

As will thus be seen, the sprockets fid'and 95' constitute means by which the blower B6- and the cutter and feed screw shaft 32 may: be op erated or driven. These sprockets are connected as by sprocket chains 38 and I 86 with correspending sprockets carried by a power shaft I62, this shaft being suitably connected as through the agency of a clutch and if desired a transmission, of any known and desired construction, not shown but indicated generally by the housing lfl, and controlled by a lever iflli or the like, with the power plant which may be of any suitable type and may conveniently consist ofan internal combustion engine indicated gens erally by the numeral IE8 which is suitably mounted upon the supporting frame.

From the foregoing, the construction of this embodiment of the principles of the invention will be readily understood and the operation thereof is as follows:

When it is desired to make use of the invention, the entire unitary assembly shown in Figure 3 is attached to a motor truck in the manner 6 shown in Figure l, for transportation thereby. The rod 26 may be adjusted as desired to raise or lower the front of the device, permitting the runners 36 to rest upon the road bed, or to elevate the lower end of the funnel above the road bed a predetermined distance as desired. The

internal combustionengine IE8 is then started,

' through the funnel and into the inlet opening of the blower casing 38, from whence the centrifugal fan blades 86 discharge the same upwardly through the discharge conduit sections 40 and 42 and from the nozzle or orifice 44 thereof. By any suitable means (not shown) the pinion 56, pinionshaft 58, and motor or other control meansis operated to thereby position the discharge nozzle M in any desired direction, whereby the snow discharged from the blower may be hurled into the desired direction from the apparatus as the same progresses along the surface tobe cleared.

Attention is particularly directed to the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 8-13 of the drawings. Here a truck designated generally by .the numeral v20!! is provided with a body portion 202, in which is mounted a pair .of internal combustion engines 20! and 206, of any suitable type, for powering the snow plow as set forth hereinafter. These engines are coupled by. any suitable transmission and clutch arrangement 288 for driving apower take-oif shaft 210 which is positioned beneath the body of the truck and supported in any suitable man ner therefrom, for supplying power to the snow plow attachment mounted upon the front of the truck.- This attachment includes a supporting frame. which may be of similar construction to the supporting frame of the previously described embodiment, and which supporting frame is pivotally mounted as by pins 212 to forwardly extending support arms or brackets 2| 4 affixed to the front portion of the frame of the truck.

In this embodiment, however, a different 'means from that described in connection with upon actuation of the, hydraulic cylinders 22:!) in a known mannerfrointhe hydraulic power take-off of the truck or any other suitable source of fluid pressure, the frame may be raised or lowered/at its supporting pins 220 to secure a verticaladiustment of the framein thesame mannerand for thesame purposesfsetforthin connection with the preceding embodiment. Suitably mounted upon the frame area pair of :aligned rotaryzsnow plow :units, each n! which consists of .afunnel 223 .for collectin snow :and 'provided'with'enlarged openfront ends formed by the rectangular forwardly extendin :rims or flanges. 224, which upon their .lower surface are provided with shoes or slides 226. Each of theseJsnow plow units is provided with a cutter head 228 journaled in supporting spiders 230, which heads are detachably carried by thedrive shafts .232, all in the manner .set forth in the preceding embodiment.

. .Also as in the preceding embodiment, the shaft 232 .rearwardly of the spider .230 has splined thereon the hub 234 of a snow feeding screw or propeller having the customary propeller .or screw blades 236 which are peripherally .relnforcedas by annular rings238. Extending rearwardly from the blades 236, are inwardly converging vanes or blades 240. .A p'lurallty'of snow cutting vanes 2.41 are disposed about the inner face of the funnel 223., which vanes extendsub- .stantially perpendicular to the side of the funnel t which they are attached.

The blades 236 and the vanes 240 serve the same functions and operate. in the same manner for the same purposes as the corresponding elements I6 and 80 of the previously describe'd embodiment of the invention.

Likewise, the collecting funnel 222 carries at its small inner end, the annular lower casing 242 from which extends upwardly tangentially disposed lower and upper sections 244 and 246 of the snow discharge conduits. These snow discharge conduits, one for 'eachof the lower units,

"are identical in construction and operation with the sectional conduits described in connection with-the first embodiment of the invention, and further description regarding the same is, therefore, 'be'lieved'to be unnecessary.

Likewise, the shaft 232 has rotatably journaled "thereon the hub or sleeve constituting a concentric shaft them which extend the blades or vanes 250 of the blower fan, this hub being secured to the shaft 232 in exactly thesame manner "asset forth for the corresponding parts of the first embodiment of the'invention.

Extending transversely across and supported .by 'the rear surfaces of the two blower casings 242, is a gearing assembly housing 252, which houses the gearing for transmitting powerfrom the .driving shaft 2l0 to the two sets of concentric shafts 232 and 248 of'the two blower units. For this purpose, there is journaled in :the gearing assembly casing 252, a longitudinal shaft 254, which is connected as by a universal coupling 255, with the above mentioned shaft 2| for operation thereby. Carried about the shaft 264 are spaced sprocket wheels 256 which are drivingly connected as by sprocket chains 258 and 260 with .the blower and cutting shafts of the two blower units. For thispurpose, as shown best .in Figures 12 and 13, the chains 258 and .260 are connected with driven sprockets. 262 upon transverse shafts 264.journaled in the gearing assembly housing. These shafts are, in turn, connected by further sprockets 266 and sprocket chains 268 with sprockets 210 attached to the ends of the cutter and feed screw shafts 232 for rotation of the same, while similar sprockets 212 carried by the shafts 264 are connected as by sprocket chains 214, which sprockets 216 are fixed to and carried by the sleeves or hubs 248 whereby the blowers 250 are operated. It will .thusbe seen that a common driving means is provided for conveying thepower from the :en-

.screw, and the rotary blower.

ggine powerplantmountedin the body of .the

truck, to. the two .units .mountedupon the attach,-

.ment supported at the front end of the truck.

.each of the blower units are independently operable to direct the stream of snow discharged therefrom, while the heavy duty power plant vis mounted in .the body of the truck to provide the necessary power for operating the device.

Fromthe foregoing, the manner of construction and operation of the ..devicewill be readily understood and further explanation is believed .to be unnecessary. .However, since numerous modifications willreadily occur to those .in the art after .a consideration .of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings,. it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as .new is:

1. .In a rotary snow removal apparatus having a support and means for mounting the same on a motor vehicle; a funnel on said support comprising a rectangular frame, a frustum of a cone. an extension connecting the periphery of the frame to the periphery of the larger diameter end of the frustum,.a..snow cutter shaftmountedcqaxial with said frustum, radial arms forming a spidermounted in saidfunnel, said spider pro vidingmeans for bracing the sides of said rectangular frame, said spider also providing means for rotatably supporting said shaft, said spider further providing snow cutting means, a cutter having pitched blades radially mounted on said shaft, an annular rim terminally connecting said blades, rearwardly extending vanes mounted on said rim, one edge of said vanes disposed parallel to the inner surface of said frustum, a conical snow cutting head mounted on the end of said shaft providing means for by-passing snow around said shaftend.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a rotary blower on said support having an intake communicating with the smaller diameter end of said frustum, common driving means operatively connected to said cutter and blower, .and a snow delivery conduit communicating with said blower.

3. A rotary snow plow attachment formotor vehicles comprising a supporting frame and means .for pivotally mounting thesame upon a motor vehicle, a funnel on said frame having. a rectangular .inlet opening the sides of which merge with the larger diameter end of a frustum of a cone, a cutter rotatably mounted coaxial with .said frustum, said cutter having pitched radially extending blades, an annular frusto- .conical rim securing the edges of said blades,

rearwardly disposed vanes attached to said rim, oneedge of said vanes being disposed parallel to the inner surface of said frustum for preventing the accumulation of snow therein, shear bars mounted in said rectangular inlet opening, said cutter being mounted on an axle, said axle rotatably journaled on said shear bars, a conical snow by-pass head mounted on the end of said 9 axle, said rectangular inlet opening having snow shearing stationary vanes mounted on its inner surface, a rotary blower on said frame having an intake communicating with smaller diameter end of said frustum, common driving means operatively connected to said cutter and blower, said blower having an outlet.

SEBASTIAN J. FIACCO.

REFERENCES CITED Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Linton June 25, 1895 Smith et a1 Mar. 8, 1932 LaClair Aug. 22, 1933 Sicard Sept. 7, 1937 Jensen June 10, 1939 Wandscheer Oct. 22, 1940 Wandscheer Jan. 6, 1942 Becker July 2, 1946 

